It was a milestone night for the Pahrump Valley Republican Women and the Nye County Central Committee as they hosted the 40th Annual Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday, March 15.
Taking place at Nevada Treasure RV Resort, the Grand Old Party event brought together Republicans from all around the state for an evening of fundraising and like-minded socialization.
Included were a dinner, raffle prizes and of course, the ever popular guest speeches, provided this year by Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, Nevada National Committeewoman Michelle Fiore and former Nevada Assemblyman Jim Marchant.
Event organizers were glowing with pride following the dinner, remarking that is had been a triumph of a night.
“It was a very successful event for the Republican Party. Over 145 people attended,” Nye County Republican Central Committee Chairman Joe Burdzinski told the Pahrump Valley Times. “Republicans came all the way from Douglas County to celebrate our Lincoln Day Dinner. Seven elected officials and numerous key Republicans were there.”
One of the main features of the night was the presentation of an award from the Republican central committee and this year, it was Debbie Dwelle who was given the very special honor, the Volunteer of the Year Award. Burdzinski said he felt Dwelle truly deserved the recognition. “She has been so very dedicated and tireless,” Burdzinski stated. “She staffs the office, answers phones, registers voters. She spearheads important causes and ideas. She is a model Republican.”
While there were many high points of the night for all to enjoy, for Burdzinski, one in particular stood out as a favorite, his opportunity to introduce the new president of the Pahrump Valley High School Republican Club, Heath Johnson. “He received a standing ovation!” Burdzinski detailed.
The involvement of Republican youth and the addition of the patriotic young men and women of the Pahrump Valley High School JROTC, who presented the colors, was something Burdzinski was obviously pleased to see. He noted that involvement by the next generation is key as those youth will be the ones piloting the country into its future.
“The youth of today are the new leaders of tomorrow. So, it is important that the youth of today are exposed to our political system so they know what to expect and also that they will be ready to lead,” Burdzinski explained. “As President Kennedy said in his inauguration, ‘The torch is being passed to a new generation of Americans.’”
There was something of a change to the annual event this year, with the traditional auction being foregone in favor of a pick-a-prize raffle drawing. “We wanted to try something different,” Burdzinski said of the change. “It worked out fine, and many of the people in attendance did not miss the auction.” All together, there were 40 pick-a-prize raffles donated by various entities, organizations and individuals.
Though the final numbers have yet to be calculated, Burdzinski estimated that the Lincoln Day Dinner raised over $9,000, which will go toward funding the many and varied activities of Republicans throughout Pahrump and Nye County.
For more information on the sponsoring organizations visit the Pahrump Valley Republican Women’s Facebook page or the central committee’s website at www.nyegop.org
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com